At least six Pakistani soldiers were killed in several attacks in south-west Pakistan on Sunday. Several civilians were also injured, the military said. There were three separate incidents in the southwestern province of Baluchistan involving various militant groups.

Baluchistan is the largest province in Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and Iran. In addition to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), rebels fighting for autonomy or independence for the province repeatedly attack security forces and Chinese infrastructure projects.

At least three people were killed in an attack in the capital Islamabad on Friday. The TTP claimed responsibility for the assassination. Recently, attacks by the TTP have increased since the militant group withdrew from a ceasefire in late November.

The TTP is an umbrella organization of militant Islamist groups that is said to have several thousand fighters. The military expelled them to Afghanistan between 2008 and 2014. Since the Afghan Taliban took power in Kabul, the TTP has regrouped in its former strongholds on the Afghan border.